Lucasfilm Now Planning the Next 10 Years of Star Wars

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and the Lucasfilm story group are now mapping out the next ten years of Star Wars. The studio is in the middle of Star Wars‘ revival and reaping the success that comes with that. Star Wars: The Force Awakens relaunched the franchise bigger than anyone could’ve imagined, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story quickly proved there was an appetite for the franchise beyond the main saga. This is good news for Lucasfilm, considering they have Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Solo: A Star Wars Story hitting theaters in the seven months alone.

In addition to those films, Lucasfilm also has Star Wars: Episode IX arriving in 2019, and have begun developing an Obi-Wan Kenobi spinoff movie. The Star Wars films receive the bulk of the public’s attention, but Lucasfilm has also continued to push out Star Wars comics, books, video games, and TV shows over the past few years. For anyone who was concerned that Episode IX will mark the end of the live-action films, however, you can rest your minds at ease.

Kathleen Kennedy sat down with Andi Gutierrez on The Star Wars Show to get the scoop on what Lucasfilm’s president has been up to lately. In the wide-ranging discussion, Kennedy was asked about her relationship with Lucasfilm’s story group and how closely she works with them to determine what comes next. Those eager for more Star Wars content will be pleased to know, they’re outlining their plans for the next ten years:

We’re sitting down now, we’re talking about the next ten years of Star Wars stories, and we’re looking at narratively where that might go. Future stories beyond Episode IX with these new characters: Rey, Poe, Finn, BB-8. But we’re also looking at working with people that are interested in coming into the Star Wars world and taking us to places that we haven’t been yet. And that’s exciting too because its a vast galaxy far, far away, so the possibilities are endless.

It is important to note that Kennedy’s response is not just in regards to Star Wars‘ big screen presence, though that is undoubtedly where a good portion of the focus lies. Yes, they still have multiple other films to make in the next few years on top of all their other content, but it is likely in Lucasfilm’s best interest to keep up with demand and their new schedule of releasing one Star Wars movie a year. There release schedule may change slightly depending on the future of the Skywalker Saga films, possibly allowing for more spinoff movies to be made, or by launching a new franchise (Knights of the Old Republic anyone?) altogether.

One aspect of Lucasfilm’s longterm plans on the big screen that Kennedy may have revealed is Episode IX concluding with Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and BB-8 all making it out alive. She states that these characters will be involved in stories beyond Episode IX, so it stands to reason that they will still be around, and possibly continue to appear on the big screen. Oddly enough, there is no mention of Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, so either his name slipped her mind for whatever reason, or it could be an indicator that Kylo won’t be around for the long haul.

Star Wars is clearly just in the beginning phase of its comeback and should continue to be a powerhouse for years to come, regardless of the medium it is presented it. Not only is it comforting to know Lucasfilm is planning ahead (following reports they didn’t have a plan for this current trilogy), but Kennedy also makes a point to mention they’re desire to work with people interested in expanding the universe. Lucasfilm currently is relying heavily on established characters (specifically from the Original Trilogy), so a continued push for creativity and introducing new elements/characters will only help Star Wars continue to grow.